


Strawberry Wine

by DarkEyedDreamer



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, At the start, Dan's sixteen, Fluff, Happy Ending, M/M, Phil is nineteen, Summer, Underage Drinking, not graphic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 11:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7800679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkEyedDreamer/pseuds/DarkEyedDreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan spent a summer as a teenager working on his grandpa's farm. That was where he met Phil, and he didn't think he'd ever really gotten over him since.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Strawberry Wine

They said that time played tricks on the mind, and although Dan didn't think he was nearly old enough for that quote to be about him he was often times proof of it. Mistaking the name of an old teacher, or not remembering what he had done the Friday before. Sometimes his friends would tell stories that Dan wouldn't remember at all. He always made a joke about getting old, but truthfully he worried sometimes if his poor memory was something to be looked into. He didn't remember having it all through his life, but then again maybe that was proof he had.

Time did not fade his memory completely, because he remembered a boy's face (not his own) sometimes when he dreamed of youth. Sometimes when he stared too long at the sky he would be reminded of blue eyes that sparkled like a kaleidoscope when the light hit them, and dark hair which probably burned in the summer's heat. Sometimes he could swear he still heard the same laughter he had back then. It was a longing sense of hope, but whenever he looked around he could not place the sound.

It had been the first week of June when Dan first met him, although it had been too long to remember the exact day. He supposed it was probably late in the week, because it had been long enough that he was already cursing everything beneath the stars that he was stuck at his grandfather's farm for the summer, doing work at his mother's demands. She had said it would be good for him to be out of the house for a while, although Dan could have come up with a million places which would be better than this place. Sure, he loved his grandparents, but he wasn't the type of person to be working on a farm. He was sure he'd die of exhaustion before the summer was over.

He had been sitting on the old tire swing out front when he'd first noticed that he wasn't alone. His grandparents were both inside, so it had surprised him when he heard the humming of a vaguely familiar tune that had been played on the radio too often to be considered anything but annoying. When the boy- slightly older than Dan- glanced up and they met eyes, he'd flashed a smile that was too happy for being here. It must have been because he was allowed to leave.

When his grandfather had told him that the boy was working around the farm, Dan hadn't believed him at first. This boy was much too pale and lanky looking to be working on a farm- and his grandpa wasn't exactly the most accepting of people when it came to work. Not that he was rude, he just was stubborn. If someone wasn't doing their share of work then he wasn't planning on paying them.

But it had been true. The boy, who Dan'd quickly found out was named Phil, was working through college and this was one of the first places he found that was in constant need of help. Especially in such a small town, where help wasn't generally accepted outside of family work. Phil hadn't known at the time that the reason for the constant need was because Dan's grandpa had fired all his workers within their first week. Lucky for Phil (and, admittedly, Dan) he hadn't messed up his trial period, and was offered a part time job.

Dan can only image how surprised his parents were when he had called them at the end of the month and said he wouldn't be coming home until the summer ended. They probably thought their plan had worked, that he had actually found interest in something other than the internet and the safety of his bed. But in truth, the only reason Dan had decided to stay was because he had found something a lot more pretty than sunsets, and he couldn't bare to run off right then.

The two had gotten along without a hitch, and it was probably because of Dan's decision to stay longer that his grandparents had pretended not to notice how Phil had stayed after work most nights to hang out with Dan in the barn our out in the field, enjoying the fireflies and the warm nights. They probably knew what was going on. Dan had come out the year before to his family on his sixteenth birthday, and most of them had accepted it without falter. Even without that knowledge, the way Dan followed the older boy around like a love struck teenage girl was enough proof of what was going on.

Phil unintentionally tricked him into loving the outdoors. He showed the younger boy all the flowers and told him each of their names; and even if Dan sometimes forgot what he ate for dinner the night before he never forgot the names of the flowers Phil had taught him. Some days, Dan would spend hours outside helping Phil with his work. Phil insisted the brunet didn't need to, told him countless times that Dan would get him fired over it, but never really kept him from doing it.

Other days, Dan would just sit on the fence and watch him work, all the while wondering how his skin never tanned or burned from the sun. Like the sun treated him with the same gentle care that the raven haired boy treated the flowers.

Thinking back on it, Dan was surprised their relationship stayed platonic for so long. Sure, Phil was older (he'd turned nineteen in January, and Dan had just turned sixteen a few days into his stay at the farm) but with no one watching the two of them, and so many late nights under the moon, it wasn't much of a stretch to think about what would blossom. At the time, Dan had shrugged off the thought. Phil was in college, and probably only ever saw him as a friend. Or his boss's grandson who followed him around like a kicked puppy.

They'd never really talked about their sexuality, so it wasn't until July that he'd found out that Phil was bisexual. Once again, the date seemed to escape his memory, but he remembered that morning had been unusually warm and Phil had gotten off work early. Dan couldn't help be disappointed. Until he'd gotten a text at nearly two in the morning from his best friend, telling him to come out to the field. 

If he'd been anyone else, Dan would have told him to fuck off and gone back to bed. He'd never been one for being woken up. But the simple text made his heart skip a beat, so without hesitation Dan threw on his jacket and his favorite pair of black skinny jeans and was off to find him. Like a puppy whose master had called.

Phil wasn't hard to find, sitting out on a blanket in their usual spot. He'd brought a basket, which was pushed off off to the side when Dan found him. Phil grinned up at him from where he sat and for a moment Dan felt like the only living person in the world that mattered. He supposed that was what emotions did to you sometimes.

"You're insane." Dan scolded, although there was a smile on his face as he sat down. "You woke me up."

Phil simply smiled at him. "I'm sorry." He said, although he didn't sound sorry at all. Dan smiled, shaking his head at him as his brown hair whipped around slightly at the gesture.

"So, what's with all this? I thought you went home." Dan said, glancing at the picnic basket then back at him. His friend grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, I did. I'm early for tomorrow." He said cheerfully, as if two in the morning was a normal time to come into work.

"No. You don't have work tomorrow. It's Sunday, my grandparents go to church all day and let you off. You know that." Dan said, giving him a teasing smile. "You missed me."

The calico-eyed boy grinned, not bothering to deny it as he poured himself something from a wine bottle. "Maybe I did. But you'll never know, Howell. Maybe I forgot it was Sunday." He said, but the look on his face told him otherwise.

"Can I have some?" Dan asked suddenly, nodding his head toward the bottle. Phil glanced at him in a bit of surprise. He probably hadn't expected that.

"You're 17, and your grandpa would have my head." He said, shaking his head as he took a sip from his glass. Dan tried not to stare at his lips, he really did, but he didn't do well.

"So we won't tell him." Dan offered. "It's Sunday, we'll call it the blood of Christ and it'll all be fine." Dan offered. 

Phil chuckled, shaking his head again, this time in amusement. Dan knew he had won even before his friend opened his mouth, although the challenging look that suddenly flickered in his eyes caught Dan off guard.

"Alright then I'll make you a deal. If you can guess the flavor then we can split the bottle." He offered, suddenly looking much more confident than before.

"How am I supposed to do that without drinking it?" Dan asked, although his heart was already pounding at the implications.

"I'll give you a hint, if you want one." Phil said, and Dan could hear his heartbeat in his ears. He was acutely aware of the flickering in Phil's eyes and the way he leaned forward when he said the words. But this was Phil, so he nodded.

Then, they were kissing. Dan squeaked in surprise, tensing up on instinct as his mind rocketed with a million questions. He'd thought he'd been reading the signals right, but now that it was happening he felt like none of this could be real. Maybe he was still dreaming, it wouldn't be the first time he'd dreamed of Phil like this. Yet the way Phil's lips were so soft against his own, slightly chapped from constantly licking them (Dan had always cursed that habit) and the feel of his own hands clutching the blanket beneath him, he just knew it was real. Which made it all the more exciting.

Phil's arms wrapped around his neck and pulled him closer, with a calm hand that ensured Dan was the only nervous one out of the two of them. He'd probably had more experience. Or he knew that Dan wouldn't reject him. His crush hadn't been too hidden. Phil was many things, but none of them were stupid.

Dan decided not to worry about his embarrassment and focus on the kiss. his eyes slipped closed and he kissed him back with what little experience he had. The only other kisses he had at that time had was one at his friend's party when he was 12 and was playing spin the bottle- and she was just as bad as Dan was- and another when Dan told his best friend he was worried that he might be gay and to test the theory she kissed him. She was more experienced, but the kiss had been rather short, stopping when he realized that he was too busy thinking about his Maths test and not her, and proving a bit more that he was in fact gay. That was still a year and a half before Dan had come out, though. In a small town like his, there really wasn't much selection.

Phil, however, had known what he was doing. Dan felt his tongue trace over his lower lip and knew what he was asking, even without words. Even without having experience he'd still read books and seen movies. He wasn't a child. A million worries flashed over him for a second, most of them being that Phil was going to laugh at him, and wondering if he knew Dan didn't have a clue what to do. If he did, he didn't seem to mind. So, timidly, Dan opened his mouth, allowing him the entrance he desired.

He tasted sweet. Dan wondered if he could taste the gummy bears that he'd eaten for a snack earlier in the day, but decided not to worry about it because he could distinctly taste the chocolate Phil had been eating when he took his lunch break earlier. That wasn't it either, Dan could also taste...

"Strawberry." Dan announced quietly as the two of them pulled away, half gasping for air. Phil smiled, his wavering breath tickling against Dan's lips as a soft laugh escapes.

He leaned forward a bit more, and for a moment Dan thought he was going to kiss him again. He was disappointed when he stopped and his face moved back to it's original place. The younger boy realized it was probably him shifting slightly. Dan only realized only then that the only thing that had been touching were their mouths. Phil's arms were slightly in front of him while Dan's rested awkwardly on his lap.

"Winner." Phil whispered quietly, although the word echoed loudly in Dan's ears. He reluctantly pulled away from him to turn back to the bottle.

"Can I change my prize?" Dan suddenly asked, much more boldly than he ever could have thought he could sound.

Phil had turned back to him, raising an eyebrow although the slightly smug look on his face told the story. "To what?" He asked with an innocence Dan didn't believe.

"This." He announced, leaning closer and capturing another kiss.

-

Dan sighed, running a hand through his hair. When September came, Phil had to leave to return home for college; and Dan had to go home, back to high school. Dan never tried to hide his summer with Phil, although he was sure that most of his friends probably thought it was all in his imagination- they never got to meet him after all. The pictures of them together seemed to be enough though.

The pair tried to keep in touch when the summer faded into fall. Texts and Skype, a few phone calls when Skype wasn't working. But slowly, they faded away with the heat, it seemed. Phil had classes and a new job, and Dan was barely pulling through his classes. Time between talking went from days, to weeks, until he was almost completely out of his mind. Nothing but sweet memories of calico eyes.

Dan walked along the fields slowly, his mind leading the way from the memory of a shy, excited teenage boy leading the same path, a dorky smile plastered on his face at the fact his best friend wanted to see him. Hard to believe that kid was him anymore.

The grass that was once plowed now roamed freely, nearly coming up to his knees. His grandparents had let the place go when they retired, and Dan was half tempted to stay a bit longer and try to clean it up before he headed back home. His new home, not too far away from the farm, actually. Just a short drive away from strawberry wine and distant memories.

He wondered for a moment if that was the reason he chose his apartment so close, then he shook his head stupidly. Of course that was why Dan chose the place. It had been years and Dan still couldn't get over the feelings he had when he was here that summer, which seemed so long ago. Too long to be harboring those emotions. Stupid of him, Dan knew. He could have called Phil any time. Could have kept him from fading away, if he had just tried a little harder. Phil wouldn't have pushed him away. But Dan never stopped loving him. He didn't think anyone really got over their first love.

Briefly, another question opened itself into his mind. Did Dan really miss Phil because he was Phil, or because he was Dan's first real love? If Phil had been anyone else, would it be them who the brunet willingly let haunt his dreams? If he had met Phil later on in life, would he have loved him nearly as much?

The thoughts quickly died, replaced by the sound of Phil's laughter. His smile flowed into his mind like the rain they'd had to hide from the night Dan had first uttered the words 'I love you.' He thought of the sparkle in Phil's eyes, usually so sweet and innocent. The times when that sparkle was less-than-innocent. No. It was most definitely not because Phil was his first love. It was because he was Phil. All Phil. No matter what time Dan had met him, he was sure he would have fallen just as hard for him. He'd still have been impossible to forget. He was- is- Phil. Dan don't know who he was now- where he was- but Dan was sure he was still the lovable, sweet, kindhearted Phil Dan met all those years ago.

When Dan drew near the spot that he'd remembered by heart he paused. There was no grass there, mowed down so it was soft and didn't attempt to cut Dan's legs through his jeans. He frowned slightly, unsure as to why anyone would have kept this particular spot cleaner than the surrounding area. Had his grandfather realized how special this place was to Dan? That didn't make much sense, if he hadn't known Dan was coming. He looked around as if expecting to see a ghost on a lawn mower, but instead his breath was taken away by the sight of raven hair.

Phil. He was facing away from him, sitting down on a familiar blanket that Dan smiled at the sight of. It brought back too many memories, and Dan thought maybe he didn't have such a bad memory after all. He stood there for a moment longer than necessary, wondering what he should do. Phil hadn't seen him yet, Dan could still back away and leave. Save them the embarrassing reunion. But he didn't think he wanted to.

"Hey." Dan said instead, drawing Phil from his thoughts- (the same ones as Dan? Did he remember their trip to the lake. Dan had been so excited to hear Phil had a car...) When Phil glanced up, Dan could see the shock on his face. 

Those mutant colored eyes Dan still loved were wide, innocent, and something else Dan couldn't place. Maybe regret? Maybe not. Dan had never been good at reading people. Besides, what would Phil have to regret? Coming here today? Seeing him? Letting go?

"Dan." He breathed, and suddenly, he was standing. Dan was taller than him now, only by a few inches but still taller. It almost made him feel proud.

His black hair was cut differently, looking like an exact replica of Dan's own, only swooped to the other side. Dan almost wanted to laugh, but his voice had already left him. So instead, he just smiled at him nervously. Did Phil like what he saw? Should Dan even care about that?

"Hey there Phily." Dan said, wondering if it was weird to say the pet name he hadn't used in years. He hadn't meant to, and it felt so weird on his lips, but it sounded the same.

Phil's grin let him know he thought so too. "Didn't expect to see you here." He said, almost as if he'd been gone a week and not three years.

"This is his grandparents place. What's your excuse?" Dan asked with a smile of his own, matching his (friend's?) easily.

"I come down here a lot. Your grandparents fondness of me didn't end when the job did." He explained, and Dan wanted to frown at the fact Phil had kept in touch with them and not Dan. He seemed to notice. "I always kinda hoped you'd be here, but you never came."

Hadn't he? The only time Dan recalled coming down to this place since that summer had been for holidays, but he figured Phil had probably been home for those. He mentally kicked himself, if he had ever just stopped by for a visit he could have had the chance to see Phil? That would have been reason enough to drag himself off the couch.

 

"Why are you here?" Dan asked, smiling softly because he already knew. "My grandparents aren't even home."

"I've been waiting for them to get back." He replied without missing a beat, and Dan's eyes trail over to the blanket questioningly.

"You missed me." Dan said, the familiar words carrying over the years to now as the brunet couldn't help but raise an eyebrow in challenge.

Phil grinned. His grin hadn't changed with the years either. "Maybe I did, but you'll never know, Howell." He repeated the words from before and the younger of the two couldn't help but grin. "Or maybe I just wanted a nice picnic."

"Well is there enough for two?" Dan asked, trying not to seem as nervous as the butterflies in his stomach. He didn't expect Phil to say no, and he didn't. Instead he nodded his head and motioned for Dan to take a seat.

"I think there is."

-

The two caught up fast. Phil still loved Muse, he was graduating university within two years, and he was single. Dan noticed that this Phil- older Phil- was less fidgety than the boy he'd fallen in love with so many years ago. He still talked with a brightness in his eyes though that Dan was happy never dimmed. He seemed happy with himself, which was something that the brunet hadn't been sure of when they'd met. Time had seemed to hold him with great regard. Like the sun had those years ago. Dan told him about how he first took a year of University, and now had his own apartment for when he attend Yorkshire in the fall, although with the way rent seemed to be he needed to look for a roommate soon. Unexpected things kept popping up.

"Same uni as me?" Phil asked questioningly, almost as if he was daring to hope, and Dan flashed him a smile of genuine happiness before Phil added. "Trying to follow in my footsteps?" With a teasing look.

"That's the college that accepted me. Don't flatter yourself too much Philly." Dan replied with a joking smile in return.

"So you mean to tell me that you didn't hope I was still there? Maybe we'd have a class or two together?" He asked teasingly, although there seemed to be a hint of that genuine hope creeping back in, and Dan didn't have the heart to lie.

"I might have thought about it." He relented, trying to ignore the fact that he could feel his face heating up. Phil nodded his head thoughtfully, and if he noticed the blush he didn't make comment on it. Dan was grateful, although he couldn't help but think that old Phil would have told him it was cute.

"I've thought about you a lot." Phil confessed, and Dan couldn't help the way his heart seemed to stop function for a few moments. He was pretty sure it wasn't meant to do things like that. Seemed almost life threatening at times, but really what a way to go. Looking into the eyes of someone who you never truly stopped loving.

"Thought about what?" He asked, wondering if that wasn't something he was meant to say. Time hadn't changed Dan's nerves. He supposed anxious was something that would always be said about him, and he'd grown to accept it mostly.

"Your eyes, and the way you smile. All those memories of us when we were younger. How I should have called you more." Phil stated, and it seemed like he was saying things he'd been thinking of for a while, judging by the way he didn't seem to think about it at all.

Dan nodded his head. "I think about that too." He admitted.

He didn't know how it happened, but within the next few moments they were kissing again, although he wasn't sure who started it in the first place. Phil didn't taste of chocolate and wine anymore, and Dan couldn't bring himself to be upset. They were just kids back then. Now his lips tasted like cherry, and gummy bears. He must have gotten nostalgic, if how many of those Dan had eaten during that summer was anything to go by. When they pulled away, Phil smiled at him, resting their foreheads close.

"I don't want to let you go again." Phil commented, his lips barely moving over the syllables to say it.

Dan nodded his head in agreement, knowing what he meant. "I won't go then."

When the sun set, the two were still sitting on their blanket, watching as the flames dwindled into the ashes of the night. Dan knew they would have to sort out what they were. He wanted to know what this night meant for the two of them. Would they get a chance to restart what they had back when he was a teenager? Would it even work this time? Or had they both changed too much for the pieces of their puzzles to fit together? Dan supposed he should be more worried, but right now he was curled up in Phil's arms talking about nothing and everything that came to mind, and his heart was swelling with joy. 

When everything was sorted out, good or bad, Dan knew at least one thing about this night. He didn't just love Phil because he was Dan's first.

**Author's Note:**

> If you're also a fan of my story "The Summer I Turned 18" I'm happy to let you guys know that I'm updating it tomorrow, the chapter is already mostly finished I just need to edit it. -xx


End file.
